Desert Plants and Desert Native Bees – A Potent Pollination Pairing!
Desert native bees are an elemental link in the Sonoran Desert’s web of life, providing vital pollination services for water-wise native plants and others. This article empowers readers to understand, identify, and nurture desert native bees in gardens and wild spaces, to the benefit of all desert dwellers.
Is 24,000 gallons of water per month too much for a family of three?
When in doubt, ask. Here are an interesting question and answer about home water use that I think all homeowners can take advantage of. You asked … I have a concern about high water usage. We have lots of mature landscaping, but artificial turf (no grass), a fairly large pool,… Read More
Hydrate Your Yard with Rainwater, Greywater, and Composting!
Envision your dream landscape. Does it have a rainwater-harvesting garden, rockwork, and basins overflowing with flowering native plants? How about a greywater system watering a fig tree or a buzzing pollinator garden? Once you’ve got the image, how would you bring it to life? Watershed Management Group (WMG) can help!… Read More
Celebrate AZ Water: Outdoor Recreation Along Arizona’s Waterways is a $13.5 Billion Industry
According to a new study, outdoor recreation along Arizona’s waterways is a $13.5 billion industry, ranking higher than golf and mining. Arizona’s waterways, enjoyed by more than 1.5 million residents each year, contribute $13.5 billion to the state’s economy and support 114,000 jobs, according to a new report released by… Read More
Arizona Water Pioneers – Part 3 | Carl Hayden
Few people might equate silence with power but that’s just the sort of paradox that defined Carl Hayden. Known as the “Silent Senator”, on the occasions when Hayden spoke before Congress, it was always with brevity and impact. What little Hayden said usually spoke volumes to his colleagues. He was… Read More
Plant of the Month: Ironwood — The Desert’s Oldest Nurse | Plants for Birds – Part 3
Feeling melancholy as you sweep up the spent yellow petals of your Palo Verdes? I understand why: when the “month of monochrome yellow” is behind us, the baking summer is upon us, and most plants (and people!) sober up to prepare. Don’t despair yet, though—late spring wildflowers still surround Saguaros… Read More
Celebrate AZ Water: American Wetlands Month
This month, we are celebrating American Wetlands Month! When you think of wetlands you might think of marshlands like the Louisiana Delta or the Florida Everglades. What might surprise you is that we do have wetlands in the Arizona desert. Some are natural and some are manmade. What is a… Read More
Arizona Water Pioneers – Part 2 | William Beardsley
Like a late-blooming teenager, 19th century Arizona was still trying to define itself. Soldiers, miners, and rugged pioneers gradually made their way to Arizona to begin life anew in a challenging landscape. These early pioneers quickly realized water was both the key to their survival and a powerful force to… Read More
Arizona Water Pioneers – Part 1 | Jack Swilling
A fractured skull and a bullet lodged in the side would be enough to take down most men, but Jack Swilling wasn’t like most men. One of Arizona’s most colorful characters, Jack had a disposition that varied based upon who you talked to and the amount of opiate-laced painkiller he… Read More
Plant of the Month: Chuparosa | Plants for Birds – Part 2
The Hummingbird’s Choice Award goes to … Chuparosa! If Arizona’s hummingbirds could vote on a state flower, it would be Chuparosa (Justicia californica). A mainstay of most wildlife gardens, this long-suffering desert beauty asks little and gives much. It can be grown long and lanky, spindly branches vining into trees… Read More
